Baywatch

What’s it about?
Mitch Buchanan (Dwayne Johnson) is the ultimate boy scout of lifeguards. But when illegal drugs threaten the sanctity of his bay, he and his team take it upon themselves to expose the criminal plot.

What did we think?
Lisa Clifford says: I really wanted to like this one. I used to love watching the cheesy 90s original and I even appreciate the genial charms of Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. But by the mid-way mark, I was ready to raise an arm and call for somebody to ‘saaaaaaaaaaave me’ (*cue theme song*).

Despite a few laughs and a LOT of gratuitous (but equal opportunity!) body shots, Baywatch suffers a MAJOR identity crisis that causes a lack of cohesion. Is it a re-boot? A parody of the original? Or an awkward continuation of the original Baywatch universe, where the ‘new class’ of lifeguards have the have the exact same names as their predecessors for some bizarre reason? Good luck trying to figure it out, because I doubt anyone involved with the movie has yet.

The Sense of an Ending

What’s it about? 
Tony (Jim Broadbent) leads a reclusive, curmudgeonly existence until a letter from his past resurfaces and forces him to confront his flawed recollections of his past in the film adaptation of Julian Barnes’ Man Booker Prize-winning novel.

What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: It’s ironic that a film about missing memories seems to be missing a crucial “ah-hah” moment for a satisfying conclusion. I kept waiting for a payoff to justify the slow burning, mysterious atmosphere and when it came, it proved too ambiguous and open-ended to provide any closure. Perhaps that’s the point; that in life we may never know the full story. It’s a fine point to make philosophically but proves for a less than satisfying experience for film-goers. Not even captivating performances from all, especially Broadbent, weren’t enough to shake the feeling that something was lost in translation from page to screen.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

What’s it all about then?

From the beginnin’. Well, there’s this roguish lad see, an’ ‘e an’ his mates are plannin’ a heist …
‘Old on, ‘old on. Yer sure nothin’ ‘appened before the beginnin’? Aw yeah, that’s right. Ye see (flashback) the kid’s not the bastard son of a prostitute, but actually heir to ye olde Englaland’s throne.
That’s more like it my son. Go on … There’s this magical scimitar an’ rooftop parkour an’ a kind-but-fair oriental fight instructor, y’know, everything you’d expect in 6th century Londinium …

What did we think?

Stephen Scott says: in a gloriously raucous post-Roman-occupied Britanniae, trouble is brewing in a cockney lad’s-own adventure that’s bleedingly obviously directed by Guy Ritchie without having all the promos blaring it at a million decibels. Fast, romance-free, with a (fantastic) soundtrack that makes you go “yeah – that’s what action movie music must’ve sounded like in 629AD”, it’s Lock Stock and One Smoking Excalibur. Exactly what you expect.

Snatched

What’s it about?
A girl who’s just been dumped takes her mum on her romantic trip to Equador after she realises the tickets are non-refundable. They get kidnapped.

What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: It’s funny how Amy Schumer’s latest feature film is no Trainwreck at the same time as being a total trainwreck. It straddles the line of gross-out comedy and high-stakes kidnap flick without ever truly landing either. Accidental violent murders are followed up with fart and dick jokes and the whole thing feels awkward; much like the girls, it’s a little bit lost. The laugh-out-loud jokes that DID land (a few courtesy of a hilarious cameo by Joan Cusack) feel like they’ve been snatched from a much better film.

Alien: Covenant

What it’s about?
A crew of colonists find themselves tracking an alien signal only to find… well, an alien.
What did we think?
Nick Bleeker says: Putting aside the fact that there’s not a lot “new” in Covenant, Michael Fassbender delivers an electrifying performance, the action and gore is insane, and the film looks wonderful. Even shorter review? It’s better than Prometheus.

A Dog’s Purpose

What’s it about?

A dog searches for the meaning of his life by living many lives himself. Yes, there are multiple dog deaths.

What did we think?

Anthony Sherratt says: The trailer promised it would be a tear-jerker but A Dog’s Purpose surprisingly turned out to also be very funny and intelligent. Yes, it’s hard to not cry (it was a very dusty cinema dammit – stuff kept getting in my eyes) but you’re left seeing it as an incredibly sweet movie. As someone who has never really recovered from losing his childhood dog, I didn’t think I’d be able to enjoy this one, but I actually really liked it.

What’s Popular

The Meg

What’s it about?
A research team discovers an undersea ‘Lost World’. When they accidentally release a 25 metre long predator they resolve to repair their mistake… with explosions.

What we thought
Dan says: There is absolutely no way to make a action-packed shark attack film and not make it contrived. For there to be any risk, people need to keep falling in the water. In The Meg, many people fall into the water.

There’s something special about beautiful bad movies. They don’t need character arcs. They don’t need well crafted monologues. They don’t need compelling relationships. Now don’t get me wrong, I wish that this film had those things.

See it in a crowd. Laugh at it together. Try not to get schlock on your boots.

Book Club

What’s it about?
Four women (Jane Fonda, Candice Burgen, Mary Steenburgen and Diane Keaton) who have a decades-long book club decide to read 50 Shades of Grey, which makes them all realise different things about their sex lives.

What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: Book Club is the uncomfortable answer to the question: “Why don’t they make another Sex and the City movie?”

BlacKkKlansman

What’s it about?
Colorado Springs is welcoming their first black officer to the force. He ingratiates himself over the phone with the local Ku Klux Klan before becoming their first African American member.

What we thought
Dan says: This is exactly what a dark comedy should be. Not a lot of dumb gags but a compelling and humorous look at a true story of Ron Stallworth. People with an interest in progressive politics will get a lot out of this but so long as you don’t emotionally bond with neo-nazis you should enjoy this thrilling romp.

Warning: Spike Lee uses his platform to append real footage of race crimes as an addendum to the film. While the message is powerful it is confronting and adds little to the film’s story. I preferred to avoid this footage when I first had the opportunity to see it and didn’t appreciate it being sprung on me. Avoid this segment is you’re sensitive.

3.5 stars

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

What’s it about?
This follow up to the 2008 musical based on the music of ABBA sees a pregnant Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) discover more about her mother Donna (Meryl Streep/Lily James).

What did we think?
Amy Currie says:  At once a sequel and a prequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is ridiculous, unnecessary, overly sentimental and wildly enjoyable. With the bulk of ABBA’s hits used up on the first movie, the soundtrack tends towards B-sides and repeats (with a few notable exceptions*). It doesn’t matter a bit. It’s great fun to see young versions of some of the main characters, and the overly elaborate set-up necessary for Cher to sing a particular song is in itself worth the price of admission. Bring your dancing shoes, your tissues and your mum.

 

*Editor’s note: Stephen says: before we get attacked by ABBA fans, 6 of the 18 songs are A-side singles that weren’t in the original (one of which is their biggest single, and at 10 million copies, one of the highest selling songs of all time- guess who gets to sing that one?), and there are quite a few album tracks from Arrival and Voulez-Vous (two of this reviewers favourite ABBA LPs). #ABBAFan #NerdAlert

Editor's Choice

The Meg

What’s it about?
A research team discovers an undersea ‘Lost World’. When they accidentally release a 25 metre long predator they resolve to repair their mistake… with explosions.

What we thought
Dan says: There is absolutely no way to make a action-packed shark attack film and not make it contrived. For there to be any risk, people need to keep falling in the water. In The Meg, many people fall into the water.

There’s something special about beautiful bad movies. They don’t need character arcs. They don’t need well crafted monologues. They don’t need compelling relationships. Now don’t get me wrong, I wish that this film had those things.

See it in a crowd. Laugh at it together. Try not to get schlock on your boots.

Book Club

What’s it about?
Four women (Jane Fonda, Candice Burgen, Mary Steenburgen and Diane Keaton) who have a decades-long book club decide to read 50 Shades of Grey, which makes them all realise different things about their sex lives.

What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: Book Club is the uncomfortable answer to the question: “Why don’t they make another Sex and the City movie?”

BlacKkKlansman

What’s it about?
Colorado Springs is welcoming their first black officer to the force. He ingratiates himself over the phone with the local Ku Klux Klan before becoming their first African American member.

What we thought
Dan says: This is exactly what a dark comedy should be. Not a lot of dumb gags but a compelling and humorous look at a true story of Ron Stallworth. People with an interest in progressive politics will get a lot out of this but so long as you don’t emotionally bond with neo-nazis you should enjoy this thrilling romp.

Warning: Spike Lee uses his platform to append real footage of race crimes as an addendum to the film. While the message is powerful it is confronting and adds little to the film’s story. I preferred to avoid this footage when I first had the opportunity to see it and didn’t appreciate it being sprung on me. Avoid this segment is you’re sensitive.

3.5 stars

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

What’s it about?
This follow up to the 2008 musical based on the music of ABBA sees a pregnant Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) discover more about her mother Donna (Meryl Streep/Lily James).

What did we think?
Amy Currie says:  At once a sequel and a prequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is ridiculous, unnecessary, overly sentimental and wildly enjoyable. With the bulk of ABBA’s hits used up on the first movie, the soundtrack tends towards B-sides and repeats (with a few notable exceptions*). It doesn’t matter a bit. It’s great fun to see young versions of some of the main characters, and the overly elaborate set-up necessary for Cher to sing a particular song is in itself worth the price of admission. Bring your dancing shoes, your tissues and your mum.

 

*Editor’s note: Stephen says: before we get attacked by ABBA fans, 6 of the 18 songs are A-side singles that weren’t in the original (one of which is their biggest single, and at 10 million copies, one of the highest selling songs of all time- guess who gets to sing that one?), and there are quite a few album tracks from Arrival and Voulez-Vous (two of this reviewers favourite ABBA LPs). #ABBAFan #NerdAlert

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